1. Field
The system, apparatus and method disclosed, illustrated, and claimed in this document pertain generally to sensing cargo activity in connection with trailers, including load changes, and movement of the trailers. More particularly, the new and useful method and system for sensing cargo loads and trailer movement uses one or more sensors to provide information including, but not limited to, trailer loading activity and trailer movement. In addition, the method and system for sensing cargo loads and trailer movement is capable of sending a notification and/or report of the location, placement, and movement of cargo and a trailer (in this document, a “sensitivity report”) either to a remote vehicle operator or to a mobile asset manager that is monitoring sensitivity reports in connection with a vehicle or a fleet of vehicles having one or more trailers.
2. Background
Mobile asset management is a major concern in various transportation industries such as trucking, railroad, rental equipment, and similar industries. In the trucking industry, for example, an asset manager may be required to track the status and location of several tractor and trailer assets in a fleet. An asset manager may want to know, for example, whether a remote tractor and/or trailer is in service, where the vehicles are located, and what is happening to the trailer in connection with a wide range of variable considerations an asset manager wants to monitor, such as determining if cargo is being loaded onto a trailer, or if the tractor and/or a trailer is in motion, problems solved by the method and system for sensing cargo loads and trailer movement disclosed in this document.
To enable an asset manager to monitor the status of a remote vehicle and/or remote trailer, a system for at least two-way communications between one or more customer base stations, such as a vehicle dispatcher or asset manager of a customer, and a remote vehicle and/or remote trailer, is increasingly in demand. To enhance communications, data development, data storage, and receipt and transmissions of information and reports in connection with remote trailer status between an asset manager and a remote vehicle and/or remote trailer, at least one mobile wireless communications system has been developed with several useful features. The mobile wireless communications system allows customers to track and collect vehicle and/or remote trailer data, operator driving data, and transportation network data; allows communications between a vehicle operator and an asset manager; allows optional communications among vehicle operators and selective communication with third parties; allows an asset manager to monitor various problems confronted by vehicle operators in connection with operation of a remote vehicle and/or remote trailer along a transportation network; substantially constantly collects, stores and transmits information and data about a vehicle, including but not limited to whether cargo is being loaded onto or removed from a trailer, and if the remote trailer is in motion.
Thus, demand in the industry now has grown to require new, useful and improved mobile wireless communications features with enhanced capabilities for inter-communication between at least one base station and one or more remote vehicles and/or remote trailers. Efforts to achieve and ensure communications between and among remote vehicles and/or remote trailers, and asset managers, have been enhanced by including in the mobile wireless communications system a position determining system such as a Satellite Positioning System (SPS).
Such a mobile wireless communications system also may be in part terrestrial, and may be used either independently of an SPS system, or in conjunction with an SPS system, such as QUALCOMM Incorporated's T2 Untethered TrailerTRACS™ Asset Management System, among others. The T2 system, for example, is capable of processing and managing message traffic at least between a customer and a tractor and/or trailer and/or container. The T2 system includes QUALCOMM Incorporated software used by the customer and asset manager to receive and send information over the wireless network, and may perform a range of additional functions via the Internet. In addition, a mobile wireless communications system may also use alternative channels of communications allowing use of conventional laptop computers that may not be wireless in operation.
At least one unmet demand of asset managers is, however, for an automated system capable of alerting an asset manager about cargo placement in relation to a trailer and movement of the trailer during transit across a transportation network, by sending one or more sensitivity reports to an asset manager.